Guide to Interviewing with Confidence - Yale University

Organizational Effectiveness & Staff Development

YALE UNIVERSITY: GUIDE TO INTERVIEWING

WITH CONFIDENCE

Yale University Human Resources

1

Organizational Effectiveness & Staff Development

Interviewing With Confidence

12/4/2015

Table of Contents

Table of Contents..............................................................................................................2 Introduction & Objectives..............................................................................................3 Interview Preparation.....................................................................................................4 Post-Interview Follow Up...............................................................................................7 Appendix............................................................................................................................8

Story Idea Generators..................................................................................................9 Developing Strong Accomplishment Stories Worksheet..................................10 Preparing For a Behavioral Interview: S-A-R Worksheet.................................11 Sample Interview Questions.....................................................................................13 The Most Dreaded Interview Question: Weakness/Area of Development...16 Questions To Ask The Interviewer..........................................................................19

Yale University Human Resources

2

Organizational Effectiveness & Staff Development

Interviewing With Confidence

12/4/2015

Introduction & Objectives

Introduction

While all parts of the job application process are important, the interview represents the optimal opportunity to distinguish yourself from other candidates. Answering questions with engaging context and specific examples can elevate your candidacy from good to great! The suggested approaches, preparation strategies, and tools provided in this workshop and guide will help you build a strong interviewing skill set.

Typically, the anatomy of a behavioral interview is as follows: 1. Interest questions ? interviewers are trying to gauge your interest in the role, passion for the opportunity, and fit with the department. These are typically the first questions you will get in an interview.

2. Behavioral questions ? meant to gauge your behavior in past situations to assess your skills, judgment, professional maturity, and fit for a particular role. The majority of your interview will consist of behavioral questions. All behavioral questions require specific answers with thoughtful, detailed examples of how you have behaved in past situations.

3. Questions for the interviewer ? your chance to ask the interviewer questions. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your interest in the role, knowledge of the department, and any research you have done on the interviewer. This can also help you capture information to further determine cultural fit.

Once the interview is completed, it is important to write a strong, thoughtful and personal thank you note. This is an essential part of the interview process and can help reinforce a strong first impression.

Objectives

This guide will help provide you the tools to prepare for the interview and practice what you have learned. We encourage you to read through the guide and use the worksheets provided. As questions arise, you can always reach out to us.

Yale University Human Resources

3

Organizational Effectiveness & Staff Development

Interviewing With Confidence

12/4/2015

Interview Preparation

Interest Questions

Overview: Interviewers are trying to gauge your interest in the role, passion for the opportunity, and fit with the organization. These are typically the first questions you'll get in an interview.

Examples: Walk me through your resume. Why are you interested in this organization? What excites you about this role? What are your long term goals?

Groundwork: Know your story and emphasize the experience, skills, and education that relate directly to the role for which you are interviewing. Be able to articulate how this role fits into your long term career trajectory.

Preparation Tools in Appendix: Story Idea Generators Creating Your Story ? Peer Feedback Form (Content) Creating Your Story ? Peer Feedback Form (Delivery)

Behavioral Questions

Overview: Behavioral questions are meant to gauge your behavior in past or hypothetical situations to assess your soft and hard skills, judgment, professional maturity, and fit for a particular role. The majority of your interview will consist of behavioral questions. All behavioral questions require specific answers with thoughtful, detailed examples of how you've behaved in past situations.

Examples: What would you do if you were part of a difficult team and you knew department objectives weren't being met? Tell me about a situation where you were able to find a new and better way of doing something. How do you handle obstacles? Describe your leadership style.

Yale University Human Resources

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Organizational Effectiveness & Staff Development

Interviewing With Confidence

12/4/2015

Groundwork: Use Situation ? Action ? Result framework to communicate Accomplishment Stories

Situation: Give a brief description of the situation Action: Explain the action you took to address it, including analysis, decision making,

resources employed, and steps taken Result: Describe results obtained. Be as specific and quantitative as possible, though

results can also be qualitative

Consult the job description before your interview and make a list of role requirements. Some common themes are leadership, teamwork, problem solving, communication skills, conflict management, and drive for results. For each requirement, develop at least two "Accomplishment Stories" using the S?A?R framework. Having at least two stories for each allows you to use different examples in the instance of multiple interviews with different interviewers; when interviewers compare notes at the end of the day, they won't hear the same story repeated. Use the list of sample behavioral questions in this guide to practice answering questions with Accomplishment Stories.

S?A?R Framework and Accomplishment Story Example Interview Question: Tell me about a time you used your leadership skills to champion change in your organization/department? Answer: (Situation) My leadership style tends to be transformational, not transactional. I like to get team buy-in and do brainstorming sessions. When I took the job at ABC, the person I was replacing had been there for 15 years before leaving. It was hard to come in and make change happen. I needed to bring the team on board, ask for ideas and feedback often, and learn about what was important to each individual team member. For example, we were asked by the President to have a different departmental assessment each year where we were constantly getting feedback from the students and improving our functions. (Action) I communicated this directive to the team and had a brainstorming session where we all contributed ideas on a topic in which we could gain feedback from the student body to improve our offerings. (Result) As a result of this brainstorming session, the team was engaged and we all agreed on one area to move forward with for that year (and even had agreed upon what we would assess the following year).

Preparation Tools in Appendix: Developing Strong Accomplishment Stories Worksheet The Most Dreaded Interview Question: What is Your Greatest Weakness/Area of Development Preparing for a Behavioral Interview: S-A-R Worksheet Sample Interview Questions

Yale University Human Resources

5

Organizational Effectiveness & Staff Development

Interviewing With Confidence

12/4/2015

Questions for the Interviewer

Overview: Questions for your interviewer demonstrate interest in the role, knowledge of the department and function, and can help you capture information to further determine cultural fit. They fall into five categories:

1) About role 2) About department 3) About manager 4) About team 5) About feedback and next steps

Examples: Where have successful employees previously in this position progressed to within the department/organization? What are some of the obstacles that the department anticipates in meeting its goals? How would you describe your management style? What things do you value in people who report to you? What kind of processes are in place to help teams work collaboratively?

Groundwork: Plan 3 ? 4 questions for each interviewer you meet, though you may not get to ask them all. The best questions are customized and specific based on your knowledge of the role, function, department, and interviewer. The samples provided in this guide, while generic, can be tailored effectively for most interview situations. Also, be sure to ask questions about next steps in the process at the end of your interview.

Preparation Tools in Appendix: Questions to Ask the Interviewer

Yale University Human Resources

6

Organizational Effectiveness & Staff Development

Interviewing With Confidence

12/4/2015

Post-Interview Follow-up

Thank You Notes

Overview: Thank you notes are an essential part of the interview process. They help reinforce a strong first impression and strengthen your relationship with the interviewer. It also gives you an opportunity to speak to any points not covered in the interview.

Groundwork: Here are a few important tips to keep in mind: Send note in a timely manner after the interview, preferably within 24 hours Thank individual for their time and consideration Craft a note that is personal and tailored to your discussion Reiterate your interest in the department, the key components of your candidacy, and briefly restate how your qualifications match the position's needs Email is the best form of communication--it's quickest and can easily be attached to any electronic files on your candidacy If you were interviewed by more than one person, send a personalized note to each interviewer; use key phrases to let them know you remember this particular meeting

Example: Dear Ms. Nolan,

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today to consider my candidacy. While I didn't get the chance to speak with you individually, I could tell how strong the team is. Ron shared with me the need for your particular skill set in the department and he seemed very thankful to have added you in a leadership role.

I left even more excited about this position and my ability to succeed in it. My experience across industries is a valuable asset. I am used to working across departments to move initiatives forward and I would thrive on the chance to dive deep into students' academic and extracurricular goals. I have strong communication skills and am ready to get out in the field and make a difference for Yale.

I look forward to hearing from you in the coming weeks. As you continue on your pizza- tasting mission, try Olde World and Ely's in Hamden!

Best Regards,

Megan Smith

Yale University Human Resources

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Organizational Effectiveness & Staff Development

Interviewing With Confidence

12/4/2015

Appendix

Yale University Human Resources

8

Organizational Effectiveness & Staff Development

Interviewing With Confidence

12/4/2015

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